America's two largest school districts impose AI moratoriums

When ChatGPT launched in fall 2022, K-12 schools quickly recognized its potential to disrupt assignments. NYC's Department of Education blocked ChatGPT on district devices in January 2023, following LAUSD's December 2022 ban. Other districts like Seattle, Baltimore, and Oakland followed, but by mid-2023 both NYC and LAUSD had shifted toward embracing AI as their leaders softened their positions.

This week, ahead of the 2026-27 school year, both districts reversed course again. NYC banned student-facing AI in all K-8 classes, allowing only a limited set of approved tools for high schoolers. This policy is significantly stricter than the March proposal, which used a stoplight system and delegated nearly all decisions to teachers. After intense backlash, Chancellor Kamar Samuels admitted the draft "missed the mark" and the district paused the policy and software purchases over the summer.

Later that day, LAUSD announced a one-year moratorium on generative AI use on its devices for all roughly 378,000 students, a move that surprised even district officials. The district had previously passed screen-time restrictions but had no specific AI rules. Advocacy groups pushing for restrictions in both cities celebrated, with parents at the LA meeting having to adjust their prepared speeches on the fly.